Indonesia’s Virus Cases Top 1,000 After Biggest Daily Jump

(Bloomberg) --

Indonesia reported the biggest daily jump in new coronavirus infections with the total number of confirmed cases topping 1,000.

Tests confirmed Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in 153 more suspects, Achmad Yurianto, a spokesman for the government task force on virus, said in Jakarta Friday. The country also reported 9 new deaths, taking the total to 87, the highest in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia became the third country in Southeast Asia after Malaysia and Thailand to report coronavirus cases of more than 1,000. Authorities have closed schools, pubs, cinemas and other entertainment spots in capital Jakarta to prevent the spread of the disease that’s killed more than 24,000 people worldwide.

The Greater Jakarta area, home to almost 30 million people, accounted for more than two third of the infections and deaths in the archipelago and has become the epicenter of the outbreak for the fourth-most populous nation.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.